Airport Stories
July 16, 2011
The summer travel season is upon us and for many that may involve passing through an airport or two. Airports are hives of story-worthy activity as many writers have discovered. A little dated now, but Arthur Hailey’s 1968 Airport was a popular tale in its day and though it might feel a bit nostalgic its thrilling premise will likely stand the test of time.
One of my favourite movies “Love Actually” begins with an emotion packed arrivals hall scene at Heathrow Airport. Hugh Grant’s character (the PM of England) voices this lovely introduction to the multiple stories in the show:
“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling love, actually … is all around.”
Watch it here with tissues handy: Love Actually
More recently, but also at Heathrow, present day philosopher and writer Alain de Botton, spent a week in Terminal 5 as “Writer in Residence” observing and recording the stories unfolding around him. His musings were captured in the 2009 book A Week At the Airport. de Botton was a well qualified choice as he’d previously written The Art of Travel which explores our attitudes toward, and perceptions of, travel in general.
Still at Heathrow, and just for fun as it’s not really bookish, I include this wildly popular T-Mobile advertisement from 2010 showing a warm hearted flash mob striking in the Arrivals hall.
T-Mobile \”Welcome Back\” at Heathrow Terminal 5
And now to present day and the creative celebration of YVR’s (Vancouver International Airport’s) 80th anniversary … A call-out has been issued for a Storyteller – a gifted and committed tale teller – to reside at the Airport for 80 days and 80 nights in order to capture a portfolio of the stories that go on within the depths of the airport community. Read more about this exciting Live@YVR opportunity and review the applications.
Deadline for submissions is July 18th, 2011. YVR will present 5 finalists on which the public can vote from July 25th through to August 5th. The mission will begin for the winning “Writer in Residence” on August 17th. I’m sure we’ll be tuning in for the revelatory stories from behind the scenes. Good viewing and good reading ahead!
Writers’ Rooms
August 30, 2010
When you think of your favourite author hard at work, what do you picture? Rustic ateliers with views of rooftops? Remote cabins deep in the woods a la Henry Thoreau at Walden? The Guardian newspaper in the UK featured an entertaining series called Writers’ Rooms showing a photo and a bit of back story on the space by the writer his or her self. I loved some of the unexpected little details and found the entries witty and fun. The Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival followed up with a version of its own on its website, exploring the work spaces of local authors. Equally engaging!
Steven Galloway (The Cellist of Sarajevo etc.) wrote: “The sign on my door read “Roy’s Poodles, Poodle Training and Poodle Related Services” and from time to time I’d advertise a job opening. Once someone from the Government of Canada’s Human Resources division put their card under the door in response to a posting for a fully accredited canine acupuncturist. Good times.”
Michael Morpurgo (The Butterfly Lion, Alone on a Wide Wide Sea etc.) wrote: “For many years, I wrote on our bed in the house. But there were complaints about ink on the sheets, dirty feet on the bed, and we felt we should try to create somewhere else, a storyteller’s house.” (Read more )
And of Jane Austen’s space: “Having no room of her own, she established herself near the little-used front door and here ‘she wrote upon small sheets of paper which could easily be put away or covered with a piece of blotting paper’. A creaking swing door gave her warning when anyone was coming, and she refused to have the creak remedied.”
Writers in the movies seem to always have enviably well turned out havens for their work. Remember Diane Keaton’s alcove in Something’s Gotta Give? or Colin Firth in Love Actually hard at work on a novel in Italy and feeling quite distracted by his Portuguese housekeeper… Click on the photos to connect with the videos of these scenes.
